1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a network device for relaying packets. The network device herein means hardware included in a network where computers are interconnected, and may be, for example, a router, a switch, a hub, or a network interface card.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a network system including a plurality of network devices, the state of each network system is adequately changed from the ordinary active state to the quiescent state, in order to achieve the power saving function. Sending a packet for changing the state of the network device to the quiescent state from a first network device to a second network device enables the second network device to be changed to the quiescent state via a network.
There is known technology WOL (Wake On LAN). The WOL technology sends a WOL packet from a first network device to a second network device and thereby enables the second network device to be restored from the quiescent state to the normal active state via the network.
This known technology requires supply of electric power to the ports for receiving the WOL packet even when the network device is in the quiescent state, thus not achieving the sufficient power saving function. This problem is also found in a network having ling aggregation between network devices.